Linux: the girlfriend test
The world has changed in the last 10 years. Humans finally have hover cars, unlimited energy and a cure for cancer. Well, not exactly, but Linux is almost ready for the mainstream desktop. Which is just as exciting. Sort of.
Before we crack open the Canonical-branded champagne, there are one or two things to sort out. Linux still has a reputation for being too finicky, technical and 'just for geeks'. This needs to be killed as quickly as possible. How? By putting the latest distributions through the ultimate in scientific usability studies: the girlfriend test.
See, the old problems of hardware incompatibility that once plagued Linux are fading, especially now that major vendors such as Asus and Dell are starting to cuddle up to Tux. The issues still prevalent are in the process of converting the huddled masses (or 'Windows users') and making the experience as friendly, straightforward and encouraging as possible. This needs to happen before Linux can reach that critical mass of users.
